Zenkichi, Modern Japanese Brasserie

From the outside you would never expect what to find inside.  On a corner in Williamsburg completely devoid of windows, the door isn't unlocked until promptly at 6pm.  The restaurant occupies 3 floors and the walkways are a slate and rock candle-lit maze through the dark restaurant with tables tucked into nooks and crannies and each with a privacy curtain and walls of obscure bamboo.  The restaurant was started by a Japanese ex-pat homesick for the restaurants he was accustomed to.

The menu fare is comprised of classic Japanese dishes but not sushi.  The only raw offering on the menu is the Raw Jewel of the Day: a plate of sashimi based on what was fresh at the fish market that morning.  We started with this dish and it had salmon, fluke, ebi, and yellowtail.  Each dish was beautifully presented.  The Seaweed Sunomono was particularly visually appealing.  A seaweed salad with four different types soaked in rice wine vinegar and topped with sesame seeds and fresh lemon.

The filet mignon tataki was seared rare and topped with scallions and a savory dipping sauce.  The vegetable tempura of the day was large, meaty asparagus and wedges of sweet potato.  The tempura batter was perfectly light and crispy.  This was served with an option of the traditional dipping sauce or green tea sea salt for sprinkling.

The beverage menu has your standard offerings but a special feature is their 3 page sake menu!  The service was excellent and the atmosphere was superb, I felt like I had stepped into a chic restaurant in Tokyo.